The national sorority Sigma Gamma Rho recently announced a community oriented partnership with USA Swimming during their national Boule earlier this month. This initiative has been established with several goals in mind. Both organizations would like to promote water safety education and encourage entry into the sport of swimming. The sorority will use the established platform that USA Swimming has created on SwimToday.org . This site will allow the sorority to offer water safety education and learn to swim programs within their member curriculum and community service outreach starting fall of 2012. With 500 chapters across the USA, Sigma Gamma Rho will become a resource for getting the word out about the importance of learning to swim and water safety. The sorority also plans to include water safety as a part of their Rhoer Curriculum, youth symposium and Project Reassurance teachings.

This partnership is certain to add a positive community impact on the number of people throughout our nation that become active swimmers and understand the importance of water safety. The sport of swimming is attractive to all age groups because participation does not require high impact or expensive equipment.

]]>https://gohardgreek.wordpress.com/2012/07/25/sigma-gamma-rho-makes-positive-strokes-in-water-safety-swimming-ed/feed/0gohardgreekLa Peyrecout - Swimming Pool with View (single chair)swimmingPoolsInfographic15 Community Service Ideas for Sororities and fraternities that combat Hunger and Homelessnesshttps://gohardgreek.wordpress.com/2012/02/04/15-community-service-ideas-for-sororities-and-fraternities-that-combat-hunger-and-homelessness/
https://gohardgreek.wordpress.com/2012/02/04/15-community-service-ideas-for-sororities-and-fraternities-that-combat-hunger-and-homelessness/#respondSat, 04 Feb 2012 12:50:02 +0000http://gohardgreek.wordpress.com/?p=168]]>Greek Letter sororities and fraternities can make a big impact as they work together in the area of Community Service. Most local communities have a food bank and homeless shelter in place to assist residents in need. With the recent decline in both national and world economy most shelters and food banks are receiving many more requests for aid. The following is a list of ideas we have developed to encourage Greek Letter organizations as they “Go Hard Greek” in assisting community agencies to meet the needs of citizens in lacking food or shelter. We encourage you to find a service project that members can complete together and be a wonderful example of the “Power of Positive” within the Greek Letter community.

1. Make “I Care” kits with items such as combs, toothbrushes, and shampoo for shelter residents . Put up donation stations in dorms, café and student unions/lounge to collect items – then put them together into kits. Graduate chapters can partner with local businesses to create donation stations.

2. Collect canned goods for donation to local food banks. You could have a reoccurring event that repeats every 2-3 months so that students and local residents “habituate” to donating canned items to your group.

3. Pack and hand out food at a food bank. This is an ongoing need at most food distribution centers. Remember the quote “Many hands make light work”

4.Help cook and/or serve a meal at homeless shelter or soup kitchen.

5. Bake several batches of cookies and deliver them to a soup kitchen or homeless shelter especially nice for Valentine’s Day or Mother’s day at a Women’s shelter.

6. Schedule your group to assist with a Habitat for Humanity building project.

7. Bake bread on National Bread Day in November and deliver to the hungry, homeless

8. Raid your closet and attic for gently used toys and clothes to donate to a local shelter.

9. Conduct a shoe collection drive for Sole2Souls and contribute to their mission to provide shoes for children in need around the world

10.Purchase/ collect items for first aid kits for women and children shelter.

11. Set up a Saturday Reading Hour where you visit a homeless shelter once a month, bringing books to share and leave behind

12. Offer regular homework help and tutoring to children living in homeless shelters.

13.Establish an ongoing t-shirt sale online to raise funds to be donated to shelter or pantry of your choice. Designs can be emailed and shared on social media allowing members to easily reach out to friends and family for support of the project.

14. Sponsor a Saturday Car wash with proceeds going to local food pantry

15.Sponsor a walk-a-thon, bike-a-thon or marathon to raise funds for local, national or international organization focused on hunger relief or homelessness.

Be sure to connect with us on Twitter and Facebook when you are engaged in your service projects so we can help get the word out and give you a BIG Shout Out! Go Hard Greek! We have the Power of Positive to change the world!

]]>https://gohardgreek.wordpress.com/2012/02/04/15-community-service-ideas-for-sororities-and-fraternities-that-combat-hunger-and-homelessness/feed/0gohardgreekResolve to Volunteer More in 2012https://gohardgreek.wordpress.com/2012/01/26/163/
https://gohardgreek.wordpress.com/2012/01/26/163/#respondThu, 26 Jan 2012 19:20:27 +0000http://gohardgreek.wordpress.com/2012/01/26/163/]]>This is a great article from the Volunteer Spot via Mom Bloggers for Social Good. It highlights some really great tips for us all to consider when working to increase our volunteer activities. As you “Go Hard Greek” out into the communities keep these tips in mind to make your service less stressful and create a higher posiitve impact!! Click the banner above to read the full post!]]>https://gohardgreek.wordpress.com/2012/01/26/163/feed/0gohardgreekZeta Phi Beta Helps Build Mad Houses In the ATLhttps://gohardgreek.wordpress.com/2012/01/19/zeta-phi-beta-help-build-mad-houses-in-the-atl/
https://gohardgreek.wordpress.com/2012/01/19/zeta-phi-beta-help-build-mad-houses-in-the-atl/#respondThu, 19 Jan 2012 13:22:18 +0000http://gohardgreek.wordpress.com/?p=154]]>

Just taking a moment out to give a BIG shout out to the ladies of the Lambda NU chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Inc. Members of this GSU sorority joined the Atlanta charity Mad Houses to assist with building shelters for homeless citizens in October of 2011. This community service effort certainly exemplified true community service and is another fine example of the

Z Phi B Social Butterfly

positive influence that Greeks can provide to their local communities.

Volunteers can assist The Mad Houses organization with many aspects of their mission, from donating supplies to actually building the structures for homeless citizens in the Atlanta metro area. To learn more about this community service organization please visit their website: http://madhousers.org/

If your chapter could not volunteer time like the ladies of Zeta Phi Beta I am sure The Mad Housers would welcome financial donations from a fundraiser!

As always we encourage you to continue to show your strength thru the power of positive –GO HARD GREEK! Send us your stories!

]]>https://gohardgreek.wordpress.com/2012/01/17/remembering-dr-martin-luther-king-today/feed/0gohardgreekMartin Luther King Jr. Pledging Alpha Phi Alpha, circa 1952Pay it Forward – Go Hard for Mentoring Youth!https://gohardgreek.wordpress.com/2012/01/11/pay-it-forward-go-hard-for-mentoring-youth/
https://gohardgreek.wordpress.com/2012/01/11/pay-it-forward-go-hard-for-mentoring-youth/#commentsWed, 11 Jan 2012 00:15:49 +0000http://gohardgreek.wordpress.com/?p=140]]>Go Hard Greek is sending the reminder that January is Mentoring Month. Below is a video of a speech by President Obama challenging us to mentor the youth in our lives, in the community to make a positive impact on the future of our country! Greek Letter organizations have the ability to connect with community centers and schools to create ongoing mentoring programs! Does your chapter have any mentoring programs in place – share the link with us – we would love to learn more!

Related articles

]]>https://gohardgreek.wordpress.com/2012/01/11/pay-it-forward-go-hard-for-mentoring-youth/feed/1gohardgreekZeta Tau Alpha – Saving Lids to Save Lives!!https://gohardgreek.wordpress.com/2012/01/07/zeta-tau-alpha-saving-lids-to-save-lives/
https://gohardgreek.wordpress.com/2012/01/07/zeta-tau-alpha-saving-lids-to-save-lives/#respondSat, 07 Jan 2012 15:09:55 +0000http://gohardgreek.wordpress.com/?p=133]]>We would like to offer this space as a shout out to the Ladies of Zeta Tau Alpha who challenged their fellow sisters to collect Yoplait lids to raise funds for breast cancer awareness and research. These ladies took the challenge to make a difference and raise funds thru the collection of the Yoplait lids from September thru December of 2011. The collective effort of these amazing women yielded a whooping total of 358,202 yogurt lids which translated into a $15,000 donation to the ZTA Foundation for breast cancer education and awareness programs and $30,000 to Susan G. Komen affiliates!! Strong Work Ladies — This is truly an example of Going Hard Greek!!

Here are a couple of the videos ZTA has posted to show all the fun the Ladies had during the campaign!

]]>https://gohardgreek.wordpress.com/2012/01/07/zeta-tau-alpha-saving-lids-to-save-lives/feed/0gohardgreekIota Phi Theta Teaches Healthy Moves !!https://gohardgreek.wordpress.com/2011/12/13/126/
https://gohardgreek.wordpress.com/2011/12/13/126/#commentsTue, 13 Dec 2011 12:43:12 +0000http://gohardgreek.wordpress.com/?p=126]]>Community service is a central pilar of many greek letter organizations. Giving back to the local community whether it is college campus or local residents can be done in many fun and creative ways. The members of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc from Virginia State University organized a teaching session with young people from the community. The VSU Fraternity members enlightened the children with a fun way to engage in healthy activity – stepping! The video below highlights the members of the Eta Chaper teaching the kids a few moves! This session teaches the children a very valuable lesson – you can have fun and be healthy!

What creative ways is your organization working to make the community a better place? We would love to highlight it here on our blog!

With the recent sad news of the death of FAMU Band Drum Major Robert Champion our minds are refocused on thoughts of the many underground activities that occur on and off college campuses across our nation. The death of this young man has not been attributed to hazing but many, many people are asking questions with raised eyebrows… why did this young man with such a bright future lose his life? Was there hazing involved, was the administration aware, were the band directors aware…… etc??? These are all questions the family, friends and local law enforcement officers are working to find answers to.

Recently we came across this great interview by HBCU Digest with Dr Lori Patton-Davis that takes a close look at hazing on the HBCU campuses. Because this is not an isolated activity of HBCU’s we all must look at why the distructive behavior continues to be accepted by young people looking to join sororities and frternities. Too many times we have lost bright young people to hazing activities that had no true purpose.

Greek Letter Organizations members, panhellenic councils, college administrations, bands and more need to take a stand against the belief that abusive actions are acceptable as long as everyone survives. Can we all work to Go Hard for Greek unity and positive actions that build our communities? This is the truly amazing legacy that sororities and fraternities can leave. The HBCU Digest program below is a wonderful example of not only discussing the wrongs that are being perpetrated but also offers some very positive thoughts and examples for changing how the public views these organizations. Positive, supportive community actions that uplift, teach and offer true leadership is what these groups should be striving for.

Take a listen to “The Big Hazing Show” below presented by HBCU Digest. What is your organizations stance on hazing? What is your college or university doing to stop the negative behavior? What do you think can be done to turn this negative behavior around?

The collaborative efforts of these two sorority chapters is to be applauded. It is a wonderful example of the power of “Greek Unity” to make a positive impact on their local communities. I encourage all Greek Letter organizations to work to find ways to collaborate with other organizations in their local community (university, city, state) to make it a better place for the citizens. GO HARD GREEK!!!